Big Salad
Nixon Farm Big Salad
A salad, but a make it an actual meal. Something that counts as dinner and won’t have me hitting the chips an hour later, okay?
By default, if we do eat a big salad for dinner we will have homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. House Rules.
Here’s how to make a BIG SALAD
Start with a leafy green
Because it is a salad after all! Anything fresh from the garden tastes best.
- Kale
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Spring mix
- Romaine
- Butter lettuce
- Microgreens
Pick a grain
Making rice or quinoa? Make a little extra. It keeps well in the fridge for a day or two, and a half cup of quinoa will soak up a little dressing, adds protein and serves as a healthy carbohydrate.
Other grain ideas:
- Brown Rice
- Wild Rice
- Amaranth
- Kamut
- Quinoa (red or black or regular)
- Buckwheat
- Spelt
- Millet
- Barley
- Farro
Choose your protein
99% of our dinner recipes include some form of protein, unless it’s Junk Food Friday, in which case, all bets are off. Some excellent protein ideas, include a few if you would like:
- Chickpeas (roast them in the oven or toast them on the stove for a little extra crunch) or simply rinse and drain well.
- Tofu (grilled, pan fried or baked in the oven)
- Lentils
- Tempeh
- Edamame
- Cashews
- Pinto beans
- Seitan
- Beans
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Almonds
- Pepitas
- Hemp seeds
- Green peas
- Spirulina
- Nutritional yeast (sprinkle a bit for added B12)
- Sunflower seeds
Load. Up. The. Veggies, fruits et. al….
On the topic of veggies, you are limited only by the contents of your fridge, and your imagination (if you are planning ahead and stopping at the grocery store.
- Sweet potatoes (2 grams of protein)
- Broccoli (2.5 grams of protein)
- Peppers (red, green or yellow)
- Mushrooms (great source of vitamin D)
- Cauliflower
- Bok Choy
- Beets
- Corn
- Artichokes
- Red onion
- Carrots
- Roasted zucchini
- Butternut squash
- Radish
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Apple
- Pear
- Brussel sprouts
- Bean sprouts
- AVOCADO
Top with a dressing
We have been making our Caper Vinaigrette these days:
Caper Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil use sunflower oil or grapeseed oil for a lighter taste
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp capers drained
- 1-3 cloves garlic minced. Adjust to taste, begin by adding 1 clove and adjust as needed.
- 1 tbsp onion minced
- salt and fresh ground pepper adjust to taste
In a high speed blender, combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients except for the onion, until smooth. Stir in onion, adjust to taste and serve.
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